Andy

Buyer - Laundry

BA (Hons) Business Studies, Sheffield Hallam University
Joined Tesco Sept 2006

After leaving University my goal was to work in Buying for a company that could offer a wide portfolio of products, and at a high volume.

My career here started in Corporate Purchasing Distribution, where I worked on a project designed to consolidate the number our logistics suppliers and drive efficiencies in our supply chain, both at distribution and at stores. But like everything at Tesco, my career moved on fast. Within six months I moved to Corporate Purchasing Revenue Generation, where the aim was to increase the profitability of Tesco by providing the little extras that added to the enjoyment of the shopping trip for our customers – like being able to have your car washed as you shop, on-the-go coffee machines for our Express high street stores, providing rides outside for the kids to play on, or developing automated recycling machines for unwanted packaging.

Eight months later, I moved across to Commercial as a Buyer and a Project Manager for our corporate-wide target of reducing packaging by 25% by 2010, which is one of our many environmental objectives on our business plan.  And best of all, I was given a huge amount of responsibility to go out there and develop my own strategies for hitting the reduction target, which meant engaging with buyers across Tesco, as well as packaging suppliers, product suppliers, and some of the most recognisable Brands in the world

A year and a half on, I then moved to Household where I currently buy Laundry products from some of the biggest FMCG suppliers in the world. I am responsible for buying at the right price, and ensuring promotions are the best for deals for customers. It’s a fast-paced and extremely busy environment here, so learning how to approach people to gain their support is something you need to learn quickly. So far my various roles have seen me work with Marketing, Corporate Affairs, Trading Law, Press Office, IT, and every area other buying area of Commercial, as well as various Government agencies, suppliers, and even the most important people in our business, our customers!

Over the next couple of years, I hope to continue driving my career in Buying, before looking at the options to move to different functions within the business.

What impresses me most about Tesco, is that we do things quickly, and we do them bigger and better than the rest.